Thalaikoothal ( ta, தலைக்கூத்தல், lit. showering) is the traditional practice of

senicide Senicide, or geronticide, is the killing of the elderly, or their abandonment to death. Philosophical views Pythagorean doctrine held that all creatures were being punished by the gods who imprisoned the creatures' souls in a body. Thus, any ...

(killing of the elderly) or

involuntary euthanasia Involuntary euthanasia occurs when euthanasia is performed on a person who would be able to provide informed consent, but does not, either because they do not want to die, or because they were not asked. Involuntary euthanasia is contrasted with ...

, by their own family members, observed in some parts of southern districts of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

state of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Methods

Typically, the person is given an extensive oil-bath early in the morning and subsequently made to drink glasses of tender

coconut water Coconut water (also coconut juice) is the clear liquid inside coconuts (fruits of the coconut palm). In early development, it serves as a suspension for the endosperm of the coconut during the nuclear phase of development. As growth conti ...

which results in

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

, high fever, fits, and death within a day or two. This technique may also involve a head massage with cold water, which may lower body temperature sufficiently to cause heart failure. Alternative methods involve force feeding cow's milk while plugging the nose, causing breathing difficulties (the "milk therapy") or use of poisons.

Incidence

Although thalaikoothal is illegal in India, the practice has long received covert social acceptance as a form of

mercy killing Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different eutha ...

, and people seldom complain to the police. In some cases the family informs their relatives before performing thalaikoothal, and the victims sometimes even requests it. However, social acceptance may lead to more egregious abuses: the issue gained a higher profile in early 2010, when an 80-year-old man escaped after discovering his intended fate and heard his family members discussing how they were going to "share" his lands, and took refuge in a relative's home. Investigation revealed the practice to be "fairly widespread" in the southern districts of

. Dozens or perhaps hundreds of cases occur annually.

Response

In 2010, after an exposé in

Virudhunagar district Virudhunagar District is a district (an administrative district) of Tamil Nadu state in south India. Virudhunagar is the district headquarters of Virudhunagar district. Virudhunagar district was formed by the separation of Old Ramanathapuram D ...

the administration set up teams of officers to monitor the senior citizens.

Representation in modern cinema

* A 2019

Tamil language Tamil (; ' , ) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. Tamil is an official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the sovereign nations of Sri Lanka and Singapore, and the Indian territory of P ...

movie, '' K.D. Engira Karuppudurai'' was based on the concept of thalaikoothal where the family members of an old man who has been comatose for months plan to kill him. * Winner of National Award in 2019,

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

movie '' Baaram'' is based on thalaikoothal. * A 2016

movie, ''

Marudhu ''Marudhu'' is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by M. Muthaiah. It features Vishal in the lead role. Production began in November 2015. It was released worldwide on 20 May 2016 with mixed reviews but ended u ...

'' has a scene where the villain kidnaps and kills the hero's grandmother as revenge using thalaikoothal

References

{{Reflist

External links